PORT CLINTON – Despite Issue 6 apparently passing, a developer said he plans to continue moving forward with negotiations to build a lodge and conference center at Water Works Park.

Mike Rose, owner of Washington Properties of Medina, said his investors are backing the proposed project despite Issue 6 requiring city residents to vote in a general election on whether the park can be leased or sold to Rose’s company.

“We still want to find a way to make this happen because of the importance to the city,” said Rose, who wants to lease or buy the property to develop it.

Rose has been negotiating with the city to build a $60 million, 330,000-square-foot lodge with a conference center, restaurant, indoor/outdoor pool, first floor retail space and 119 residential units at Water Works Park.

Citizens Organized for Responsible Development, a group against commercial development at the park, put Issue 6 on the Nov. 4 ballot. Issue 6 called for voters to decide in a general election whether the city could sell or lease any city park.

The Ottawa County Board of Elections is expected on Nov. 24 to count provisional ballots and remaining absentee ballots that were not included in unofficial election night results and release official election results.

CORD spokesman Rick Noderer said CORD members said throughout their campaign they did not believe Rose would abandon the project if voters decided they wanted to have a say in the sale or lease of the park.

“I guess we were right,” Noderer said.

Since the election, Rose said locals have expressed their disappointment to him that Issue 6 passed.

Rose said the ballot language was confusing and that he believes some people voted yes in support of Issue 6 when they meant to vote no in support of development.

“A yes vote meant no,” Rose said.

Those who wanted to allow council to sell or lease park land were to vote no, and those who wanted a general election vote on whether park could be sold were to vote yes.

Rose believes the residents support development at the park because they voted in 2007 to rezone it for commercial use. If the development is approved, 85 percent of the park would be green space, he said.

If the development is approved, Rose said he plans to refurbish some of the downtown buildings and the old city hall at Adams and Second streets. Over the years, various developers have planned to fix old city hall, a historic limestone building, and turn it into apartments or condos.

Rose said he is working with the owner to follow through with plans to turn the building into residential units.